92.5% of the 186 respondents, living on the islands, felt well or very well-served by CalMac ferries.
95.1% of the 103 tourists who visit the islands, felt well or very well-served by CalMac ferries.
Professor John Robertson OBA
This is, of course, a snap, self-selecting poll of less than 300 and confirmation or refutal of its findings would require a scientifically sampled poll carried out by a registered pollster, but the fact that this has never been done raises serious questions of the media coverage based entirely on a small number of island ‘representatives‘ of uncertain status in the communities.
It is a well-known fact that self-selecting polls on, for example, the quality of a service or of the conditions of work in a public service, tend to attract disproportionally those dissatisfied with it – the ‘squeaky-wheel syndrome’ and so the high degree of positivity in this is of great interest.
This poll paints a radically contrasting picture of how those using CalMac ferries feel about the service and, at the very least, needs to be part of the wider debate. Please share.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Sorry , John , but your poll of 300 does not trump the clearly independent view of ONE BBC selected incomer with an axe to grind !
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This small poll is of no interest to the Scottish media as it does not blame the SNP nor CalMac I just wonder how the likes of Peteranna had to cope with the other post of yours like the one below.
Troubled English ferry company has to borrow to survive but still pays nearly £1 million to directors
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Sorry John, but given your campaigning to expose the propaganda in play, this may have slewed the results of your poll.
I don’t doubt this relentless propaganda will have influenced opinions of some, yet we saw the difficulty BBC Scotland ran into doing vox-pops at Troon harbour – Over an hour to find 5 candidates embarking and disembarking willing to regurgitate the “fiasco” line.
Does the business community on S.Uist represent the opinions of all 1,754 (2011 Census) residents ? I very much doubt it, but that is the platform presented….
There are plenty on forums giving thumbs up over their own travelling experience with Calmac, the NHS, the education system, etc., and I dare say the same is true of islanders – The “News where you are” died with Fyfe Robertson….
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I can see in previous polls that many who follow me are not SNP-supporters and not necessarily prone to praising CalMac on their behalf. The poll was also open to those who don’t follow TuS.
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Aye fair enough John, but you’re ignoring the fact that opposing interests will be keeping a watchful eye and can skew the results, you can be sure activists are watching, I saw this on the Peteranna response.
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Not to mention the suggested Labour scam to get taxpayers to pay for upgrading Ardrossan Harbour. Which is privately owned facility, a bit like Grangemouth where we can’t invest because its private. And Scunthorpe where we must buy and invest because its now private. Some twisted logic here?
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Read ‘Highland Experiment’ The Story of the Highlands and Islands development board, by James Grassie, 1983. The book takes a look at how the BritEngGov back then, played games with Scotland’s infrastructure and land etc, with no real investment but lots of talking shop folk earning a good living, many who were brought up from England. It was just that, an experiment which came to nothing, too many obstacles, ignoring the needs of the Highland and Islands inhabitants. It wouldn’t do to serve the needs of the local people, hence the low population and lack of infrastructure and investment. I’m giving too much away though…that’s just what I took from the book, not sure where I’ve damn well put the book now..hm.
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